Sudan’s Bashir sought guarantees for his safety before China visit: report Article Comments (2) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 22, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir got guarantees that he will not be arrested during his stay in China, a newspaper reported today. Zhou Yongkang (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Sudanese President Omaer Hassan al-Bashir’s adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail in Beijing, capital of China, April 29, 2011. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng) Bashir has been invited by Beijing for a three-day visit that starts next Monday and is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese president Hu Jintao and other officials. This would be the first visit by the Sudanese leader to China since an arrest warrant was issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges that he masterminded war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Even though China is a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which referred the Darfur case to the ICC it is not signatory to the Rome Statute and is therefore under no legal obligation to apprehend him. But that did not prevent the Sudanese leader from seeking assurances that he won’t be arrested on his arrival. The Washington Post newspaper revealed that Bashir sorted that out two months ago when he sent a trusted aide to Beijing for a meeting with Zhou Yongkang, the Chinese Politburo member responsible for law and order — and the former head of the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), an enormous state oil company with billions of dollars invested in Sudan. The report did not name the aide but last April Bashir’s adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail was in Beijing and held talks with Yongkang. Chinese companies are major investors in Sudan’s oil, and China is Khartoum’s top arms supplier, something long criticized by human rights activists and Western governments, especially because of the conflict in the Darfur region. The U.S. government on Tuesday suggested that it is opposed to Bashir’s visit. "We urge China to join the international community in its call for Sudan to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court, as required by UN Security Council resolution 1593. United States policy is to oppose invitations, facilitation or support for travel by ICC indictees. We have a longstanding policy of strongly urging other nations to do the same" said a state department official who spoke to Sudan tribune on condition of anonymity. But the Chinese government brushed aside the criticism saying that it is "quite reasonable" to invite Bashir. Right groups chided China for hosting Bashir. “Beijing will signal its total disregard for victims of heinous crimes in Darfur if it welcomes al-Bashir,” said Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “Al-Bashir’s flouting of international arrest warrants should be cause for condemnation, not for an invitation. Beijing should instead be using its influence to press for justice in Darfur". (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
